Tag Archives: Toronto Water
Where the Best Amenity is the Neighbourhood
By Derek Raymaker – Globe and Mail
Some call the East End, ‘the last really good opportunity in the city’ for infill
Between the dull roar of the Don Valley Parkway and the dreary strip malls of Victoria Park Avenue lie some of Toronto’s most robust and proud neighbourhoods.
Just east of downtown lie Corktown, Cabbagetown and Riverdale, all of which stand tall today thanks to the popularity, angularity and craftsmanship of their Victorian architecture.
A little farther east is Leslieville, straddling the formerly skid-row stretch of Queen Street East that is being transformed into a vibrant core of cafes, boutiques, and visual art studios at a hellacious pace.
The residential portion of Leslieville used to be a solidly blue-collar enclave of compact semi-detached houses, but in the past five years, it has become an attractive market for first-time buyers on a budget. Prices and renovation activity have been cranked up accordingly.
Finally, there is the Beaches, one of Toronto’s most storied neighbourhoods, and the only one in the original city of Toronto with direct access to lakeshore recreation areas without an expressway or arterial road being in the way.
A rendering of the Queen City Vinegar Lofts in the former Queen City Vinegar Co. factory. Good use is made of the brick walls and large windows of the structure at 19 River St.; glassed-in units will be added to the top.
It’s also home to ferociously proud residents, well-versed in the finer points of zoning regulations and bylaws, and their battalions of school-age children. Homeowners have given the community a West Coast flavour, unafraid of experimenting with San Francisco style architecture and maritime-themed designs and finishes.
The Beaches has acquired so much cachet that it’s boundaries have mysteriously grown to include the Upper Beaches, a real estate agents’ euphemism for those neighbourhoods along Kingston Road as far east as Victoria Park Avenue, a stretch that gets noticeably un-Beaches-like the farther east you go.
Toronto’s well-entrenched east-side neighbourhoods don’t necessarily lend themselves easily to high-rise condominiums.
Small pockets have become home to successful 10-storey-plus condos, but they’ve usually been attached to a larger redevelopment. Such is the case around the Distillery District, where four condo towers have been built surrounding the upscale multipurpose shopping and dining complex.
The east-side neighbourhoods, with their creative, upstart, never-say-die character, have proven to be a successful breeding ground for similarly inclined developers with a specific interest in infill redevelopment or loft conversions.
Streetcar Developments Inc. started converting old industrial or commercial buildings into lofts on the east side almost four years ago, and has continued to actively seek out opportunities in the area.
“Everything else in downtown Toronto has been played out [in terms of loft conversions], so logic would dictate that this area is the last really good opportunity in the city,” says Les Mallins, president of Streetcar Developments.
“These are established neighbourhoods,” he adds. “We’re not looking to go in among people who’ve been living there for years only to have a negative impact. It’s important that we make ourselves part of the community.”
Mr. Mallins is holding out a lot of hope for the successful redevelopment of the East Don Lands, a massive urban rejuvenation spearheaded by Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp. that will replace 15 deteriorating factories east of Parliament Street in what is known as Corktown. TWRC hopes to have a large public park built there by 2009, and the area will eventually boast almost 6,000 new dwellings, a recreation centre and a school.
Streetcar Developments is getting ready to launch a new 38-loft development in the area in the former Queen City Vinegar Co. factory. It has four other Corktown sites in the planning stages.
The design of the Queen City Vinegar Lofts makes good use of the brick walls and large windows of the current four-storey structure at 19 River St., and adds another two storeys of glassed-in units.
The core of the West Don Lands’ residential component will likely come under the control of the more established high-rise developers and their standard designs, “so we’re staking out ourselves on the periphery,” Mr. Mallins says.
“The people [who] come to us – I’m not sure that they’re comparing us to other condominiums in the city,” he says. “I think they just don’t want to live in an ant farm.”
Farther east in the Beaches, Rashmi Nathwani, the principal of Namara Developments Ltd., is putting the finishing touches on the company’s North Beach project, an attractive six-storey brick-and-glass mid-rise at the corner of Main Street and Kingston Road.
“We’re definitely searching for properties” in that area, says Mr. Nathwani.
“We don’t really include a lot of amenities in these projects besides the usual party room and a common terrace,” he notes. “I feel that the real amenity is the neighbourhood.”
Perched near the top of the Kingston Road hill, the 74-suite project takes in a pleasant view of Lake Ontario below.
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Outdoor spaces in the sky
Tracy Hanes – Toronto Star
There’s no doubt about it — Toronto condo buyers love balconies. But renowned interior designer Brian Gluckstein is astounded by how few of these outdoor amenities get used to their full potential.
“I’m always amazed when I look at buildings and see balconies that are just these sad, vacant spaces or when people buy condos with terraces and don’t do an extensive number on them,” says Gluckstein.
Yet, purchasers are quite adamant that they want these outdoor spaces and the connection to the outdoors they provide.
“You look at condos built 20 years ago and see they have little window openings and no terraces, which is a change to what people want today,” says Gluckstein. “I just did a focus group for a new condo, and one question they were asked is whether outdoor space is important. Everyone wanted it, as big as possible. One element is that people are giving up their house, but don’t want to give up outdoor space, they just don’t want as big a garden.”
What he would like to see is people create “mini courtyards” on their balconies. “People are putting so much effort into the interiors of their suites — I’ve never seen so much interest in flooring, cabinetry and bedding — they should put the same focus on the outdoor spaces.
“It absolutely is another living space, it isn’t just a ledge hanging off a building, and it’s very valuable living space,” says Gluckstein. “The smaller the unit, more valuable it is. You want to decorate it and style it just like interior.”
He says some condo buyers are starting to treat the balcony as an extension of their indoor space.
“We (Gluckstein Design) design patio furniture for the Bay,” he says. “At our urban location, we’re seeing people starting to address that and we’re designing smaller tables with two chairs. We’re seeing an increase in that type of product. They don’t just want a supermarket stacking chair, they want beautiful patio furniture, beautiful planters.”
Gluckstein says more products are also being designed for balcony and terrace use, such as lightweight fibreglass planters which look like concrete, pewter, stone or terra cotta.
“The big change is that these planters and the new patio furniture can stay out all winter, so you don’t have to worry about storing them,” says Gluckstein. “You can create a beautiful space and don’t have to worry about what to do with it.”
Condo balconies in Toronto
Even the cold weather months offer the opportunity for beautiful balconies: “You can put pretty evergreens out there that aren’t expensive. You can leave them year round or give them away and replace them with flowers in spring.
“I’m also seeing an increase in artificial plants. I like real plants, but artificial evergreens are great for privacy on the sides of terraces. Or you can plant a few pots with real flowers and use artificial hedges.”
The new artificial turfs have come a long way too, he says. “They really are incredible and don’t have that luster they used to. I’m seeing it more and more in places, like in private gardens where grass can’t grow. It looks fantastic and it can soften a concrete terrace and help reduce the heat.”
Gluckstein says the balcony decor should echo the interior of the suite, whether it’s traditional or contemporary. He says there are a range of “fabulous fabrics” available too for patio cushions which are as stylish as those available for interior furnishings, in a wide range of patterns and colours.
Architect Peter Clewes agrees that balconies and terraces are in high demand for new condos.
“Every singe residential (condo) project we’ve done, including the Four Seasons, has balconies,” says Clewes of architectsAlliance. “I’m realizing more and more the importance of balconies. It’s nice to be able to feel the balcony is a space you want to go out to.”
He created wraparound balconies for Cresford Development’s CASA project, inspired by two beautiful buildings in the Yonge and St. Clair area and by Towerhill apartments off Spadina Rd. and has designed similar balconies for Cresford’s MYC (Merton Yonge Condominiums) in Davisville, which will offer panoramic views of the Mount Pleasant Cemetery and city skyline.
“With CASA, the wraparound balconies functionally and visually extend the living space,” says Clewes. “They take the entire frontage of the unit and it provides beautiful living space and gives some passive solar shading on the south and west. Even the small units feel much larger, which is especially apparent on the corner units. The glass in the unit goes right from the floor to ceiling, uninterrupted, with no curb detail or no bulkhead to reduce the height.”
Few condos are built without balconies, but the Residences of the Ritz-Carlton is one notable exception, says Clewes. “Toronto is a very conservative city when it comes to architecture and few people are prepared to be adventurous. The Ritz-Carlton is high-end residential and has a high quality exterior facade. It’s more about celebrating the views and less about being connected to the outdoors. That was very brave (not to include balconies) and successful.”
Clewes says balconies can present a challenge in creating balance between architectural diversity and a sense of consistency between the different condo towers in Toronto. If all projects had wraparound balconies, it would result in a “homogeneity of architecture,” he says. “You have to play with the idea of balconies and give architectural expression, yet a sense of connectedness with other towers.”
Currently, Clewes is working a tower for the Toronto waterfront — “that’s going to have enormous balconies” — that will use a special structural system not used in the city for a long time. “It allows you to do enormous cantilevers to create what will really be outdoor rooms.”
Tips for best balcony use
• Use the same design theme as inside the condo. For example, if you have traditional furnishings and decor, choose the same for your balcony.
• Look for lightweight fiberglass planters which simulate terra cotta, stone or concrete. They aren’t too heavy to carry up in an elevator and can be left out year-round.
• Buy small evergreens to put out on the balcony in winter to add a touch of greenery; give away to friends in spring and replace with blooming plants.
• Buy furniture that’s correctly sized. You should be able to walk around tables and pull out chairs comfortably
• For large terraces, break up the expanse of concrete floor with teak click-together decking or some or new realistic looking artificial turf. Don’t be afraid to use umbrellas and gazebos, too.
Hire a landscape architect to help you design your outdoor space in the sky, advises Gluckstein. Cost will be reasonable the results worth it.
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History Of The Tip Top Lofts
By: Rob Parker
Standing at 637 Lake Shore Boulevard West is one of Toronto’s true tributes to innovation, renovation, and high-class living – the Tip Top Lofts. The exclusive lofts that are part of this building’s appeal are unique in several aspects in comparison to other Toronto lofts.
They are located right on Lake Ontario within local proximity to the Martin Goodman Waterfront Park and trail system, as well as all of the excitement that makes up the atmosphere of the Toronto waterfront. The building is within walking distance to Ontario Place and a quick ferry ride from Toronto Island.
The lofts themselves are also unique – two stories high on average, they are spacious and comfortable with a soft loft appeal.
There’s no doubt that many aspects of the Tip Top Lofts building are unique, but it stretches right to the very foundation of the building itself. The Tip Top Lofts are not just a testament to the luxury of high class living, but also to the innovation and ingenuity that keep the city of Toronto in the limelight as one of the most cutting edge locations in North America. It is one of the historic buildings in the city that enjoys a long history and a place in the cultural and commercial history of the city.
Residents of the Tip Top Lofts can chalk up the incredible location, with its gorgeous view and easy access to all amenities, to the fact that the building itself was originally commercial in nature. It was constructed in 1929 by contracting company Bishop and Miller for the Tip Top Tailor clothing company, one of the largest men’s clothing chains in Canada.
Classified as an Art Deco building, the Tip Top structure was used both for office and warehouse purposes. At a time when highways and super freeways did not cross the landscape as it is today, access to the waters and ports of the Great Lakes was a huge commercial advantage, thus the location of the building proved to be invaluable.
With the Great Depression, Tip Top Tailors and others fell on hard times, and were forced to downsize as well as to review company policy. The company was sold to Dylex, who were interested in the chain and its potential, rather then any of the buildings the chain owned. The result was a rejuvenation of the corporate side, but this did not extend to the real estate holdings, and buildings like the warehouse were allowed to degenerate.
The move to conserve space, the appeal for the modern individual of a manageable living area, as well as skyrocketing real estate prices would all combine, bringing new life for the building, which was sold to Context Development Inc in 2002. The company renovated the historic structure into the high-end loft building it is today, registering the complex in 2006.
Today, these lofts (including the additional three floors of two storey units) are some of the most in-demand pieces of real estate in Toronto.
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960
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